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A fire ignited on a container ship in Los Angeles on Friday, leading to a temporary shelter-in-place order for nearby communities due to concerns over potentially hazardous materials onboard.
The Los Angeles Fire Department reported that all 23 crew members from the ship were safe and accounted for, with no injuries resulting from the electrical fire. Authorities confirmed the presence of hazardous materials on the vessel, named the One Henry Hudson.
By Saturday morning, Mayor Karen Bass lifted the shelter-in-place order that had been affecting the surrounding port areas for several hours.
“The shelter in place order has been lifted for the Los Angeles port communities, including Wilmington and San Pedro,” Mayor Bass announced on X.
The fire broke out at around 6:38 p.m., prompting a response from 124 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel. They were assisted by the Long Beach Fire Department and Port Police in managing the situation.
AIR7 was over the scene as fireboats sprayed water on the ship as smoke billowed into the sky.
By about 7 p.m., the fire had spread to several levels of the ship, according to the fire department, and later an explosion took place mid-deck. The explosion disrupted power to the ship, including lighting and crane operations.
The U.S. Coast Guard said a safety zone of one nautical mile had been established around the vessel.
The fire appears to have started below deck, before spreading to several levels of the ship, leading to an explosion mid-deck, according to the fire department. It was not immediately clear how the fire started.
More than 100 firefighters were called to battle the blaze at the Port of Los Angeles, known as the busiest seaport in North America. Their efforts continued overnight, Bass said.
The 1,102-foot-long (336-meter-long) vessel is operated by One Ocean Express, a shipping company headquartered in Singapore. Before Los Angeles, the ship had most recently been in Japan, stopping in Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo.
One Ocean Express did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press requesting comment.
KABC contributed to this report.
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